Satellite communication via our phones is finally becoming a reality, and the feature has been out for some time. The latest iPhones support it, and well, it seems like our Samsung and Pixel phones also have support for it, and it will be going widespread once Android 14 is released. Once the update comes out, it will obviously require the right hardware and with that, the rest is up to the phone manufacturer.
Android 14 is turning satellite SMS into a reality with support coming to Pixel and Galaxy phones first
Based on a tweet by the Pixel #TeamPixel Twitter account, we are getting satellite SMS support with Android 14. Once the feature is finally out, it will start rolling out to supported Pixel and Galaxy phones. This should not be a surprise since we did hear about how the Galaxy S22 Ultra was used to place the first call via satellite, even though the phone is not officially supported.
The extent of satellite support is still not evident when it comes to smartphones, but I am really looking forward to seeing how Android 14 uses this feature. It is also important to understand that all Android phones are built differently, especially when it comes to manufacturers, and while Samsung might be the biggest, with the most amount of influence, it is possible that other companies won't introduce the feature despite the latest version of Android supporting the feature.
Whatever the case might be, Android 14 is not far away, as the update will make its debut in October alongside Pixel 8 series. You can expect the Tensor G3 to have this support. In addition to that, new flagship phones are going to start popping up, which means that we will see some compelling hardware from a variety of companies and will perhaps also get a look at which phone does support satellite SMS and other satellite-based communication features and which doesn't.
Satellite communication on phones is still a feature that has a long way to go, and I am glad that Android 14 is bringing it to the mainstream. Here, it is important to understand that we are going to get more and more features revolving around this type of communication, and I am really hoping that more Android OEMs fall in line so we can truly have a proper, streamlined technology at our disposal.
